


Poe and Rey sitting in a tree ...

by Olpgurl



Series: Damerey Week 2020 [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, Damerey Week, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, POV Rey (Star Wars), Planet Yavin 4 (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Force Ships It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27048028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olpgurl/pseuds/Olpgurl
Summary: They've won against the Emperor and the galaxy is rebuilding.  She needs to do her part by rebuilding the Jedi, so Poe helps her look for the best place to establish a temple.  She never would have expected his homeworld as the perfect place.  For a lot of things.Damerey Creations Week 2020 Day 3:  Canon AU/Found Family/Helmet/Waldeinsamkeit
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Rey
Series: Damerey Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970761
Comments: 21
Kudos: 62





	Poe and Rey sitting in a tree ...

“And this is it,” Poe said over the comm once they came out of hyperspace. 

She glanced over at him; his x-wing hovering not far from hers. She turned towards his home planet, looking over the green swathed moon, interspersed with blue. “You said it’s a lot like Ajan Kloss, right?”

He just hummed in response, still audible over the comm. She didn’t know why he was being so tight lipped about this; Poe wasn’t exactly the quiet type. They headed for atmo once they got the all-clear, her following behind him. “No offence Poe, but I’m not sure what we’re doing here then. I mean, I need somewhere to teach, but if it’s basically the same, I might as well keep looking.”

He just laughed, the sound still foreign to her after their tense year. “There’s definitely something here that you didn’t have at the base, and it’s just for a few days,” he replied. “Worst case, my dad overfeeds us and we head to the next place on your list.”

She muttered something about difficult men, Poe just laughing harder; he was in too good of a mood for her peace of mind. He landed on the outskirts of what must be his family home, still surprised he’d actually wanted to take out the pair of x-wings instead of the Falcon. Since the end of the war, their fights had been tempered, changed. A little anyway. But she still hadn’t forgiven him for setting the Falcon on fire. Well, even if she could agree that saving him, Finn and Chewie had been worth it.

It didn’t take long, they had barely gotten the canopies open, when a man came running, stopping to stand between the two ships. She watched Poe yank off his helmet, tossing his bag to the ground, and jumping down to give the man a hug. “My kid, a general,” Kes Dameron laughed as he pulled away. “I guess you did alright for yourself. Eventually.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Poe replied, a blush staining his cheeks. “I outrank you, Sergeant.”

“You’ve outranked me for years, but I’m still your father,” Kes replied, finally turning toward her. “Now, who’s your friend that you refused to tell me anything about.”

She removed her own helmet before rising from her seat and jumping down herself, looking between the two men before her. So different yet the same. She raised her hand, lifting her own bag to drop it more gently with the force, bringing it right into her hand. “I’m Rey,” she stated simply, unsure of the sudden tension that had sprung from Poe. 

The man simply nodded, turning to look back at his son. “Don’t become a pilot. Don’t get mixed up with the Jedi,” he said sarcastically. “You never did listen. Well, now I know why you’re here, at least. You get her set up, I cleaned out the old place for you two, I figured you’d want your own space. Head back to the house when you’re done, and I’ll get you both fed. She’s too skinny.”

She didn’t understand the rather brusque tone he used, but Poe’s father walked away, a deep feeling of sadness rolling off him. She looked over at Poe, needing to understand. “That wasn’t about you,” he replied, watching his father leave. “Come on, let’s get settled and eat then I’ll show you why we came.”

Poe followed the same path his father had used but veered off as they approached a couple of buildings. She followed him into one, glancing around before dropping down her own helmet beside his on the small table beside the door. “Sorry, it’s kinda small but it’s inside at least,” he apologized.

“I’ve never been in a house, Poe,” she said, looking around in wonder. “This is more than I’ve ever had.”

His face went blank, his emotions a maelstrom. “Then we need to fix that,” he stated, still trying to keep a tight rein on his emotions. 

He walked towards her, the sound of his zipper seemed too loud in the quiet room. “We should get cleaned up and head to the house,” he said dully. “Mind if I get in the fresher first.”

Poe didn’t seem to have a problem changing in front of her, pulling his sleeves out of his flight suit to show off his toned arms. She looked away from him, turning around to avoid the distraction. “Rey?” his voice called. “Did you hear me?”

“Go ahead,” she answered, her voice sounding wrong. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything, his heavy footfalls heading away from her.

She needed to stop thinking that way about him, Poe had no idea what he was doing to her. He would do the same thing if she were Finn or Jess; it meant nothing. Taking her bag, she looked around for the bedroom, finding it easily enough in the small space. Small, she laughed bitterly, this was the best place she had ever seen. All this trip was highlighting was how different she and Poe really were. Again. No wonder they could never seem to find that common ground that was so simple for her with most of her friends.

He exited another room shortly after, dressed with his hair still damp. She took her turn, cleaning herself quickly, feeling off kilter with Poe’s unusual silence about the situation. They headed over to the larger house, worried more about how nervous Poe felt. The meal was a bit tense, Poe and his father talking in a roundabout way she didn’t understand. Too many complex feelings were coming from both of them. Poe didn’t talk about his home much, she was surprised he had brought her here in the first place, but she had to trust Poe wasn’t just wasting her time. They finished their lunch, her offering to clean up but Kes refused. 

Poe pulled her away, surprised by the trip back outside. “Why are we here?” she asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

Poe just laughed, the tension from before had all but disappeared, pulling her down a path near the house. She finally realized why they were here on her own, a far too familiar whispering entering her mind. She moved ahead of him, following down the path. She shouldn’t have been surprised, Poe hadn’t disappointed her. She didn’t understand how it could be here, but the force tree was vibrant and alive, so different from the one on Ahch-To.

She reached out to touch it, the feeling of rightness washing over her. Poe had been right, she was meant to be here. “It’s perfect,” she whispered.

“I’ll leave you two alone then,” he laughed.

“Poe -”

“It’s fine,” he replied, cutting her off. “I’m going to spend some time with my dad. We’ve got to talk about some things.” 

She was confused by the sudden change in mood yet again, but Poe was already heading out of the small clearing. She sat in front of the tree, closing her eyes to concentrate. After all her time spent in the jungles of Ajan Kloss, she would have expected to be tired of this type of place. But the green was still too new, still too much of a novelty to her. She loved the colours, the smells, the sounds; so different from her barren life on Jakku. 

The tree felt like it was reaching out to her, like it was welcoming her home. She cleared her mind like Leia taught her to, pushing away her thoughts about Poe, about becoming a master, about the war. She allowed herself to let go, concentrating on the world around her, trying to be in the moment. It was different here, finding that peace sooner. Easier. It probably had a lot to do with the tree standing in front of her. Not that she wanted to admit it. She pushed aside the doubts that were creeping in once again, focusing on her surroundings. Finally surrendering to the trance.

She felt him long before she heard him, the tree almost welcoming him like an old friend. Poe came forward, not dropping down beside her like she expected. She opened her eyes, surprised to see General Dameron climbing the kriffing tree.

“What the hells are you doing?” she exclaimed. “Poe you can’t do that, you’ll hurt the tree!”

He settled himself on one of the lower branches, trying not to laugh at Rey’s indignant face. “Rey, it’s fine. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid, I know what I’m doing,” he reassured. 

She stood, wiping the dirt off herself. She couldn’t feel anything wrong; the tree almost wrapping itself around him like it was protecting Poe. She had always wondered about Poe; he wasn’t like her, or even Finn, but the Force surrounded him anyway. He was an amazing pilot, almost too good; his reflexes and instincts in a cockpit were more than just experience. She remembered his father’s words, but Poe was meant to be in the sky. Anyone could see that. She had to wonder how much of that was him and how much of that was his relationship with the Force, strange as it was. She gave up, shaking her head at him playfully. He seemed more settled than before; whatever he and his father had said to each other must have been needed. He seemed lighter, more relaxed than she had ever seen him.

She gave up the idea of fighting him, the tree seemed happy to have Poe cradled in its branches. Taking a quick look, she jumped up to join him. “Are you happy to be home?” she asked as she settled down.

Poe looked impressed but was quiet for a moment, taking the time to think about his answer. “I don’t really know if this is home anymore,” he replied. “I … I guess home has been the Resistance for so long, it feels a bit strange to be back.”

She hadn’t been here long, but she already felt like she could belong here; build a life here. “The Resistance is disbanding, that’s the whole reason we’re here,” she pushed. “The senators are coming out of hiding, trying to re-establish the government.”

“Yeah, don’t remind me,” he answered, frown marring his face. “I guess it’s back to the Navy.”

“Wait, you aren’t staying?” she blurted out, the panic ringing through.

“I’m not a farmer, Rey,” he replied. “I’ve spent so long fighting, I’m not sure I know how to do anything else.”

Poe pushed himself forward on the branch, moving to drop down to the ground. She reached out to him, making Poe pause. The idea of Poe bringing her here and then leaving again just didn’t sit right with her. Finn would be coming once she found the right place, and she thought this might be it. But if Poe was going to leave her, leave them, she suddenly wasn’t sure. “Maybe we should check the other planets,” she began, “I mean, I should be thorough, right?”

He was so close; she could see the specks of gold in his eyes. “I didn’t bring you here first because you needed to pick it. Especially because I used to live here once. I just thought … I wanted you to see my tree. I figured you’d be one of the few people who’d appreciate it. If you want to leave, you know I’ll stay with you until you’re sure. You’re … family.”

“Your father is family,” she began hesitantly. “I’m just …”

Poe shuffled back before he placed a hand on hers, sliding his fingers to intertwine them. “You’re just as much my family,” he replied seriously. “I mean you and Finn and Rose and everybody back at base. And they’d say the same about you.”

“Then why would you want to leave your family, Poe?”

He finally looked at her directly, his eyes intense, serious in a way he rarely was unless they were in danger. “All I need is a reason to stay.”

“So, if I asked you to?” she continued, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

“You know I would,” he replied. “All you need to do is ask.”

“I don’t want you to leave,” she whispered.

Poe released her hand, shifting on the branch again before moving to face her. “What do you want?” he asked, cupping her cheek.

“I want you to stay … with us,” she replied. “With me.”

Poe bit his lip, the waves of nervousness rolling off him. “As what, Rey?”

That was the question. She didn’t have the words to describe what Poe was to her. No amount of meditation ever seemed to give her the right answer. He was a confidant, friend, annoyance, challenger, supporter and everything in between. Their relationship was ever changing, a push and pull she had never felt with anyone else she had ever met. But there was a constant tension, a feeling like something was missing. And she was starting to suspect what it really was. 

She shifted herself on the branch, buying herself time to think of the right answer. “I don’t know yet,” she replied honestly. 

Poe nodded, his head turning away from her again. It was her turn to cup his cheek, urging him to look back. “Can I try something? It might help me know for sure.”

He nodded, a bit warily but complied with her request. She shuffled closer towards him slowly, trying to keep her balance. Poe watched her, confused but he stayed in his position. She had only done this once, with disastrous results. But Poe was worth the effort. She leaned forward, Poe’s surprise registering for a moment, but he leaned in as well. Their lips met, hesitant.

It wasn’t at all like before, kissing Poe was like coming home. The part of her that had felt missing vanished as his lips moved over hers. It was only seconds, but it felt like much longer when he pulled away, smiling. He jumped down suddenly, holding out a hand to help her. She took the proffered hand, even if she didn’t need it. This wasn’t the reaction she’d been expecting much less hoping for.

Poe only gave her a second before pulling her flush against him, kissing her again almost before her feet were touching the ground. She gasped in surprise; his tongue met hers, pulling it into an unfamiliar dance. She leaned into him after a moment, his hands sliding around her waist, keeping her close as he explored her mouth with his. This was as different as possible from her last kiss. She had no idea how long they stayed like that, kissing under the canopy of the tree, only pulling apart for a moment to catch their breath before being pulled back together like it was more necessary than air.

Poe finally released her, panting lightly as he pressed a kiss to her forehead and dropping his head to her shoulder. She did the same, taking a moment to understand what had happened. “Did you get your answer?” he whispered.

She let out a small laugh, burying her face into his neck. “Possibly,” she answered simply. She took a few deep breaths, trying to stop her still racing heart. “I thought, just for a second … you didn’t want me when you pulled away.”

Poe laughed, head rising up from her shoulder to look at her. “No, not at all,” he replied, a smile still gracing his face. “You might be able to fly without a ship, but I can’t. I just didn’t want to fall out of the tree.”

“What?”

“I knew the second I started kissing you, I’d never want to stop,” he replied, the honesty shining from him.

She smiled coyly, biting her lip. “You aren’t kissing me right now.”

His eyes became hooded. “Guess I need to fix that.”


End file.
